Ethnobiology is the scientific study of the way living things are treated or used by different human cultures. It studies the dynamic relationships between people, biota, and environments, from the distant past to the immediate present.
In the marine environment human activities and other factors can result in algal blooms and habitat destruction, which may affect people's health and local communities. A common method for assessing the status of water quality is by measuring its optical properties to determine sewage impact, dissolved organic matter, sediment loads or biological activity.